The top nine teams in The Associated Press college football poll have held onto their spots, led by No. 1 Alabama, while Northwestern and Boise State moved into the Top 25 for the first time this season.

A Saturday with few surprises and a lot of blowouts produced mostly expected ranking results heading into what figures to be an intriguing final two weeks of the season. Alabama, top ranked since the preseason, received 58 first-place votes on Sunday. No. 2 Miami received three first-place votes.

Oklahoma is No. 3, Clemson is No. 4 and Wisconsin is No. 5. Auburn, Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame and TCU round out the top 10.

There was some shuffling at the bottom of the rankings, with Michigan, North Carolina State and West Virginia dropping out after losses. Northwestern, which has won six straight, is No. 23, and Boise State is No. 25. Virginia Tech returned to the rankings at No. 24.

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POLL POINTS

All but one team ranked in the Top 25 last week played this past weekend. Washington State was off. Oklahoma State was the only ranked team favored by more than three points that lost. The Cowboys' rally fell short against Kansas State .

All that added up to 20 of the 25 teams in last week's rankings either holding steady or moving up one spot in this week's poll.

WEEKLY `BAMA

Alabama has now been No. 1 a total of 102 times in AP poll history, passing Oklahoma for the second most behind Ohio State (105).